


Like A Memory

by The_Cerulean_Author



Series: History Is Happening (: [3]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Backstory, Beginnings, Conversations, Cults, Dinner, Fairies, Flashbacks, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Loss, Moving On, Royalty, Tragedy, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-31 01:08:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8556775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Cerulean_Author/pseuds/The_Cerulean_Author
Summary: An uncomfortable matter is raised over dinner with the Washingtons and The Revolutionary Set. Dahlia reveals how she came to be in New York and learns that even the most broken hearts can start to heal with time and love.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is the final instalment of my 3 part intro for this series.  
> Things will get happier from here, I promise.  
> Enjoy! ^u^

For those of you who have never had dinner with a group of 6 vampires, it might sound like a nightmarish experience. But for Dahlia, it was just pleasant to eat with other people. During dinner, the vampires had answered the faerie's questions such as 'are there any other vampires who started life in the 18th century?' and also told her about Compulsion (how Adams had gotten her to reveal her true form). In return, Dahlia explained how Faerie society was split into kingdoms, one in every country across the world (hidden out of sight of humans, of course) and each was ruled by monarchs but backed up by a government. The food had been truly delicious (Martha was an excellent cook) and conversation had become lighthearted and humorous.

Until Hercules Mulligan had to open his mouth and ask one fateful question.

"I'm sorry, but ain't we gonna talk about the fact that Dahlia verbally lashed out and kicked ass against Washington earlier? No offence, boss." he added quickly, looking at Washington.  
"I truly didn't intend for my outburst earlier." insisted the faerie, her face flushing in embarrassment.  
"But it was totally awesome! I've never seen anyone stand up to Washington like that, except maybe Martha or Angelica." grinned John.  
"Also your posture and your tone were truly somezing else. An impressive display indeed." nodded Lafayette.  
"How often did you have to take such an authoritative stance back home?" asked Alexander.  
"Boys. Give the poor girl a chance to speak." reprimanded Martha.

Dahlia sighed deeply. They had reached /this/ conversation. And the faerie knew it could not be avoided. Well...she had to talk about it sooner or later. Plus she found she didn't want to keep something as big as this from the first people in a while to show her such kindness.

"There is something you all should know about me." she began slowly "Firstly, I told- or rather, showed- you that I am a faerie. I have also told you my name. But there is a title I possessed that I neglected to mention. Secondly, John," she looked at the man in question "remember I told you that things went very badly wrong at home for me and I can never go back?"  
John's smile had fallen now and he nodded solemnly "Yes, I remember."  
"Do you also remember the nickname you very quickly gave me?" Dahlia smiled slightly as the tips of John's ears went pink.  
"...Yeah. I called you princess." John mumbled.  
"We all heard him say that." smirked Hercules.  
"...He wasn't exactly wrong." Dahlia looked down at her hands, which were clasped in her lap.

The silence was deafening as the connotations of that statement sank in for all the vampires around the table. Lafayette responded first (in French, of course).

"Mon Dieu..." he breathed.  
"Holy shit." muttered Hercules.  
"...That explains a few things." mused Alexander.  
John's jaw had simply dropped and not yet moved.

Washington started asking the important questions "If I might pry, what exactly was the cause of a young princess fleeing her home and being unable to return?" His voice was gentle, with an undertone of sympathetic curiosity.  
Dahlia's shoulders tensed up and she closed her eyes "I don't know if I can tell you..." she mumbled.  
"Honey, if you don't tell us, we can't do anything to try and help you." Martha coaxed.  
"And we really really want to..." John placed a gentle hand on the faerie's shoulder.

The other three of The Revolutionary Set were quick to agree, also giving Dahlia gestures of comfort, be it hands clasping her own or soft promises that they truly did wish to help the faerie (because she was growing on The Revolutionary Set rather quickly, but they didn't say this).

Finally, Dahlia opened her eyes and looked up, taking in the faces of each vampire around her. Then she made a choice.

"I'm not sure if I can tell you what happened. But perhaps I can show you, if you'll allow me." she offered.  
Alexander frowned "How-?"  
"Everyone around the table, please join hands to form a circle." instructed Dahlia, slipping the ring which gave her wings off the chain and onto her finger so she transformed.

A few glances were exchanged before a circle was formed, Dahlia taking Laf's right hand and John's left to complete it.

"Next, I'd like everyone to close their eyes and try and empty their thoughts as much as possible. This is so I will be able to channel energy through all of you and create a connection with our minds. I transformed so I would be able to channel a little easier." she explained.  
"...Is this gonna hurt or screw our minds up in any way?" asked Hercules nervously.  
The faerie gave him a warm smile "No, it's not the first time I've done this and I promise you are quite safe." she assured.

Worries eased a little, everyone closed their eyes and tried to empty their thoughts (a difficult task for someone like Alexander, who's mind always worked at a million miles an hour). While this was going on, Dahlia fixed her gaze upon a candle in the centre of the table, the flame upon it flickered at first until it shrank to the point where it almost extinguished itself. Satisfied everyone's minds were clear, the faerie closed her eyes and focused on a particular memory before broadcasting that thought into the others' minds.

As far as magic went, it was hardly anything by faerie standards, but Dahlia's gift was still pretty unique.

Inside their collective mind's eye, the six vampires and one faerie opened their eyes to find themselves transported to the decadent marble and gold throne room of a glittering palace that Dahlia had once called home. Shards of glass, both coloured and clear, formed huge stain-glass windows (like those of a church) that allowed sunlight to stream in and illuminate the room and decor, throwing spots of colour and miniature rainbows onto every surface. The chamber was decorated with bouquets and garlands of fresh flowers, flags and banners across the room bore the royal crest (the English flag on a shield with a gold crown above it and supported on either side by a lion and a unicorn against a grey background). The room was filled with people (faeries) chatting, none daring to go up onto the elevated platform that held two ornate gold thrones. Clearly, they were waiting for the arrival of something or someone.

Dahlia looked behind her to see the vampires' reactions. George had his arms around his wife protectively, glaring at the armed guards posted around the edges of the room. Martha was telling her husband not to go starting any fights with said guards.

"C'est comme le palais de Versailles ... seulement beaucoup plus magnifique!" gasped Lafayette, looking around.  
"Where in the hell are we..." muttered Hercules.  
"How come no one's noticed our appearance? We're not exactly dressed like them." observed Alexander, taking in the strange attire of the surrounding faeries.  
"To paraphrase 'The Wizard of Oz': I don't think we're in New York anymore." whispered John, more to himself than anyone else.

The faerie decided she should explain the situation before things went any further and cleared her throat to get the group's attention.

"Lady and gentlemen, allow me to welcome you to my home, in the Faerie kingdom of England. Or a memory of it, anyway." she announced.  
"What are we doing here?" asked Martha.  
"And why isn't anyone noticing that we don't exactly belong here." questioned John.  
"I say again, this is my own memory of my home from the day that I left, never to return. We are here, Martha, because I told you I could show you what events took place that ended up with me in New York. No one is noticing us, John, because we have no physical presence or influence here. No one can see us, hear or touch us. We are effectively ghosts." Dahlia explained.

Before anyone could say anything more, the doors at one end of the throne room opened and three people entered: two females and a male. The male was similar in height and build to Washington, an image of power and strength. His hair and short beard were blonde, his wings were a dark shade of blood red and he had the same blue-grey eyes as Dahlia. On his head was a gold crown and he was dressed in the attire of a medieval warrior king who was always ready to go into combat to fight for his home, kingdom and family; fine leather coat, gloves and boots, tunic and leggings along with other small details of his royal status (a sword at his hip, ceremonial gold chain and crest around his neck).

The older of the two females was picture of ethereal grace and years of practiced elegance, what she lacked in height, compared to her husband, she made up with a figure like an hourglass. Her sugar pink hair was coiled on top of her head in a bun, her wings were cerulean blue and her eyes were a warm shade of brown. Her tiara was gold, like her husband's crown, and her gown swept along behind her as she walked and draped off her figure, accessorised by the multiple articles of jewellery on her body (earrings, a necklace, multiple bracelets and a jewel-encrusted belt around her waist). There was no question that she was the queen.

"Introducing my mother and father, Queen Camelia and King Saradoc." Dahlia smiled sadly as she proudly said her parents' names.  
Lafayette noticed her sad smile and had a bad feeling where this memory might go, especially as he took note of the faeries wearing black, hiding their faces with hoods and blocking every available exit. The Marquis quickly slipped his hand into hers and squeezed lightly.  
"Oh my God!" gasped Alexander, only just realising who the third person was.

The second, younger female was already known to the vampires as-

"Dahlia?!" Hercules exclaimed.

And it was true. While the figure behind the king and queen did not have glasses, Princess Dahlia was still completely recognisable to the spectators of the memory. Despite the pale grey sleeveless gown with a fitted bodice and asymmetrical tulle skirt and silver tiara on top of her blonde/pink curls. Her wings, the colour of pink sapphire, were resting on her back instead of hidden away. This past Dahlia also looked slightly less thin and pale than the present one.

"Looking good, princess." approved John, before being nudged in the ribs by said princess.

The past Dahlia followed her parents to the base of the elevated platform. Before the monarchs ascended, the father kissed his daughter on the forehead and the mother hugged her child.

"All of you, take a quick moment to look at our surroundings. Notice the people in black who are blocking every way out. This never happened any day before the day this memory took place." murmured Dahlia, keeping her eyes on her parents.  
"...What is your point?" asked Washington hesitantly.  
"Below the surface, there had been unrest in my kingdom for a long while before this day. Now look at my parents. They always hugged or kissed me before addressing the court, but today their gestures lingered just slightly longer than normal. I think they knew something was wrong. I didn't have a damn clue." she said bitterly.  
"Oh, I don't like this at all." muttered Herc, grabbing Dahlia's free hand.

King Saradoc stood in front of his court, Queen Camelia by his side, and began to speak. He was passionate and inspiring, but Dahlia's voice was not drowned out as her commentary continued.

"As charismatic as my father's speeches often were, pay more attention to the man moving in behind my parents. Also take note how the crowd assembled begin to grow slightly restless."

Even as she spoke, a faerie wearing black robes trimmed with gold gradually advanced behind the two rulers. It was easy to miss, despite the fact this man, unlike the other black robed faeries did not have a hood. His clean-shaven, bald head with a hooked nose, sallow cheeks and sunken eyes could be seen by all. Except the king and queen.

"I didn't even notice and I was looking right at my parents." whispered Dahlia "Every single person in this room knew what was about to happen. Except me, my mother and my father." her voice grew tight.  
"Dahlia, what's going on." demanded Alexander, growing anxious "What's that man-"

The horrific answer came in that moment, as there was the sickening noise of skin tearing, bones breaking and the squelch of blood as the man behind the king and queen struck. There was a heartbeat of dead silence before the bodies of Camelia and Saradoc fell forward to the floor, revealing the man in black robes grinning evilly and holding the hearts of the king and queen. Which he had ripped from their bodies.

"NO!" screamed a female voice. Past-Dahlia tried to run over to her parents' corpses, but the members of the crowd closest to her surged forward and restrained her.

"What in the hell was that?!" snarled Alexander.  
"That's it!" hissed John.  
"Let 'er go zis minute! Sacre bleu!" growled Lafayette.  
"We in the shit now. We have to help!" yelled Herc.  
Washington and Martha had also bared their fangs, ready for a fight.

"NO!" commanded Dahlia, somehow holding them all back "This is a memory. It is the past. You can't do anything to change this situation, you simply have to watch it play out. I know it's unfair. But so is what happened here."

Though still seething, the vampires continued to watch the scene. Past-Dahlia had been apprehended but was struggling (to get away, to get to her parents, she had no idea). The man in gold and black robes descended from the platform and calmly approached her, still holding the hearts of her parents.

"Princess Dahlia. What an honour this is." drawled the man. His voice was deep, and harsh (and it sent shivers up present-Dahlia's spine to hear it again).  
"Who the hell are you. What the hell is going on!" demanded past-Dahlia, her voice ringing out across the room.

The man smirked cruelly "My name is Orgulas, High Priest of The Cult of The Black Moon. The reign of your bloodline is over and this kingdom is ours. Don't bother calling for help or for guards to arrest us. Everyone in this kingdom follows us, and we have been planning to overthrow your family for months."  
"My parents haven't done anything wrong! They are good, just, kind rulers and they do only what is best for you! Their people! PLEASE!" past-Dahlia begged openly to the room, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.  
"You have no allies here, princess. Now watch, as I take your parents from you forever." leered Orgulas, turning the hearts of Camelia and Saradoc to glass before casting them to the floor, where they shattered into dust.  
Past-Dahlia half-screamed, half-sobbed as she fell to her knees in anguish.

Present-Dahlia was wrapped in a four-way hug from The Revolutionary Set.  
"I can't watch..." whispered Martha, hiding her face in her husband's chest.  
"This is disgusting...Do these people have no sense of loyalty?" murmured Washington.

Past-Dahlia was shaking, her head head bowed as she tried to compose herself "...Kill me. You want to bring down the royal family," she looked up at Orgulas "so just kill me."  
Orgulas chuckled condescendingly "As easy and delightful as it would be for me to rip out your heart and destroy it, my dear, that wouldn't be any fun at all. You see, we already have control of this kingdom. We've had it for a few months now. The final part of the plan was to get rid of the monarchy. But being the merciful man I am, I would like to offer you an opportunity. A deal with the devil, so to speak."  
Past-Dahlia narrowed her eyes "What kind of deal?" she asked suspiciously.  
The priest leaned down so his face was inches away from that of the princess "We will let you live. In return, you will surrender your mind and heart to us and your body will play host to the spirit of our Goddess. It would be a shame to waste such beauty, after all." he grinned maniacally.  
The princess promptly spat in his face "Never. I'd rather die."  
Orgulas snarled and wiped his face with the sleeve of his robe "Did I say you had a choice?" he asked venomously "My mistake." he extended his hand towards her chest, with the full intention of tearing out her heart.

The Revolutionary Set were being restrained by Dahlia once more when the doors to the throne room were blasted off their hinges, taking out those who who were stood closest to them. Everyone else turned to see what the cause of the disturbance was.

"Release Her Highness this minute!" demanded a heavily accented female voice.  
"Otherwise we will make you and take out anyone who tries to stop us." added a male voice with the same accent.

The faeries to whom those voices belonged strode into the room. They were obviously twins, brother and sister; they had the same silver hair (both brother and sister wore their hair in a braid), pale green eyes and even similar face shapes. The boy was slightly taller than the girl, but they were both dressed in matching combat outfits of navy blue leather, that matched their wings, and carrying long dual-tipped spears. The female wore a satchel over her shoulder.

"Who do you think you are? Two foreign strangers bursting in here like this." drawled Orgulas, seemingly unimpressed.  
Past-Dahlia's eyes had lit up hopefully at the arrival of the sibling pair.  
"We are Prince Borya and Princess Galina of the Faerie kingdom of Russia." declared Borya.  
"Hand over Princess Dahlia before any unnecessary blood is spilled." Galina poised her spear, ready to fight.  
"You wish." spat Orgulas "Followers! Take them down!" he commanded.

That's when the memory descended into chaos. A huge skirmish broke out as the Russian royalty fought their way through the crowds to desperately try and reach Dahlia before Orgulas could do anything to her. The group of six vampires and present-Dahlia also fought their way to the front of the room, getting there at the same time that the Russian siblings did. Past-Dahlia had succeeded in wrenching herself out of the grip of one of her restrainers, punching another in the face as Borya impaled Orgulas with his spear. Not having time to check that past-Dahlia was alright, given that they were still under attack, Galina simply grabbed Dahlia's hand and the English Princess fled the room with the Russian Prince and Princess.

"Let's go after them!" yelled present-Dahlia, running after her past-self, the six vampires on her heels.  
"Your past self seemed to recognise ze Russian Prince and Princess when zey arrived, did you know zem before zis memory took place?" asked Lafayette as the group ran through the palace.  
"Borya and Galina are childhood friends of mine, we three have known each other practically since we were born." answered Dahlia, keeping her eyes fixed on her past-self and her friends.  
"Also how the fuck did they manage to blast a pair of doors off their hinges?" panted Hercules.  
"Their spears are family heirlooms, passed down for generations and loaded with ancestral magic- This way!" Dahlia turned sharply around a corner, leading the six vampires down a left hand corridor.

The group of seven followed the royal trio in front of them through a series of corridors which led to the armoury, which contained an entrance to a secret tunnel that surfaced outside of the city boarders, given that it would have been almost impossible to escape the kingdom through a city full of people who would've turned Dahlia in before one could say 'betrayal'.

Finally, when both groups were safely in a forest outside of the city, everyone (both past and present) took a moment to catch their breaths. Galina took the time to check if Dahlia was alright, while the English Princess asked how on earth the pair had known to come and rescue her.

"Our mother and father recieved word from yours that something worrying was going on. Your parents requested help from our family if it ever came down to it. In the past few days, someone from our government returned from a scouting mission to your kingdom with news that they had overheard plans to overthrow the monarchy." explained Borya.  
"Well...thank God you two arrived when you did." Dahlia smiled weakly.  
"We...only regret we could not save your mama and papa. I am so sorry." apologised Galina.  
The English princess tried to fight fresh tears, but failed and hugged Galina tightly "...It wasn't your fault. You got there when you could, and you saved my life...I only wish your actions today had not been necessary." she whispered.  
Galina hugged back tightly "My friend, you are cold. I have spare clothes in my bag, please get changed." 

When past-Dahlia joined Galina and Borya again, wearing a long black coat and warm, woollen leggings and tunic (she had also removed her tiara), the two Russians were standing at the edge of an outcrop that overlooked the capital of Dahlia's kingdom. Past-Dahlia joined them at the edge, watching as flames consumed every flag or every object connected to the monarchy across the city. Her home had well and truly fallen.

"I...recovered these from the throne room. They had been stolen from your parents' bodies." Borya handed Dahlia something small that none of the present spectators could see, but clearly meant a lot to past-Dahlia, who gasped and held them close to her.  
"What did he give you?" asked Alexander quietly.  
"He gave me my parents' signet rings. I still have them. They're all I have left of them." replied present-Dahlia.  
John fumbled for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"You know that that priest might continue to look for you?" Galina asked, looking at her friend.  
"Which means that you need to leave this place." Borya added.  
"But...where would I go? Surely he'd just pursue me to any other kingdom I fled to." frowned past-Dahlia.  
The two siblings glanced at each other, then looked at their friend.  
"We'll take you to the human realm and hide with you while we come up with a long-term plan." suggested Borya.  
"Hm..." mused past-Dahlia "Very well. Besides, there is nothing here for me now, anyway. Everyone who cared about me here is gone...yes. Let's go to the human realm." she decided.

The Russian twins turned and began to walk away from the outcrop, looking back when they realised past-Dahlia wasn't following them.

"...Dahlia?" prompted Galina.  
"...Bad day for rain, isn't it?" past-Dahlia asked softly, looking up at the sky.  
The twins and the six vampires looked up to see clear blue skies, much to their confusion.  
"No, it is-" Borya cut himself off when a sob escaped past-Dahlia. She was crying.  
"...Yes. Awful day for rain." he corrected himself.  
Past-Dahlia gathered herself for a moment, then turned and followed Galina and Borya. 

The trio left together and the memory faded to black. The six vampires and one faerie opened their eyes, finding themselves back in the dining room at Washington's house.

"Is everyone alright?" asked Martha.  
"I think so..." muttered George.  
"Ngh I need aspirin..." complained Alex.  
"Oh, j'ai mal au cerveau..." whined Lafayette.  
"Shit..." grumbled Herc.  
"Feels like I had one too many pints of Sam Adams..." complained John.  
"The effects will pass in a few minutes." Dahlia said softly, slipping her ring off her finger and back onto its chain.

The vampires' attention turned to Dahlia, who was trying to subtly wipe away stray tears with her napkin.  
"Princess..." John forgot about his headache and went to hug Dahlia instead.  
"As you all saw, things went very badly wrong at home...and I can never return. The worst part is...right up until their hearts were shattered, my parents could have been saved. Borya, Galina and I lived a mostly-human existence for a few weeks, then it was decided that I had best go and start a new life in another country. We decided on America." she whispered, hugging John even as the other three moved to join the embrace.

Washington stood up slowly, thinking before speaking "Miss Winter. After what you have shown us tonight and after the incident with John Adams earlier today, I believe it even more imperative that you are in a place where you can be protected from both threats. If it is fitting with you, I believe the best place would be with Alexander, John, Hercules and Lafayette. If they are willing to have you?" Washington looked at The Revolutionary Set.

The Revolutionary Set leapt at the idea.  
"Well we're not gonna say no." replied Alexander.  
"It would be our personal honour." agreed Laf.  
"Hell. To. The. Yes." grinned Hercules, punching the air.  
"It's your call, princess, but we'd love to have you stay with us." John said to Dahlia.  
"Oh my...are you sure it wouldn't be too much trouble?" asked the faerie.  
"Not at all!" chorused The Revolutionary Set in unison.  
Dahlia smiled warmly "Considering I'm going to be here for the foreseeable future and I need somewhere more permanent to stay, I'm in. We just need to go to the hotel I'm staying at and collect my things." 

The Revolutionary Set all went out into the hallway to pull their jackets and coats on, chatting excitedly amongst themselves. Dahlia also got to her feet to follow them when Martha asked her to come with her. The faerie followed the older woman through the kitchen and into the living room, where Martha retrieved a black velvet pouch and gave it to Dahlia.

"Open it." she encouraged.  
Intrigued, Dahlia opened the pouch and took out a bracelet made of silver disks "What's this?"  
"It's a bracelet made of metal infused with vervain, a herb that protects against Compulsion. It should also help mask your prominent scent and make you less noticeable to vampires who aren't so friendly." explained Martha.  
Dahlia thanked her and slipped the bracelet on, before addressing something that was on her mind "Martha?"  
"Yes, dear?" Martha smiled kindly.  
"You've known Alexander, John, Hercules and Lafayette for a long time..." Dahlia began tentatively "Will I be safe with them?"  
Martha came over to the younger woman and placed her hands on her shoulders "Dear, I would trust those boys with my life. With them, there is not a doubt in my mind that you will be not only safe, but happy too. And, after all that you've been through...who knows? They might just be the key to you leaving your past behind for a brighter future." 

"Mon ange? Êtes-vous prêt à aller?" called Lafayette from the hallway.  
"I'll be right there!" Dahlia called back. She hugged Martha tightly with a whispered 'thank you' before going out into the hallway to get her coat and shoes on. Then she left with The Revolutionary Set. All five of them knew what Dahlia was (gladly) leaving behind.

But no one could guess what the future held in store for any of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to use google translate when Laf reverts to French. Will you laugh, cry or melt from cuteness? Who knows?  
> Also, I'd like to add that this intro-trilogy was almost solely for the purpose of introducing the character of Dahlia and to give her a backstory.  
> Thanks for reading! ^u^


End file.
